PRINTITRESELLER.UK 37 Fujifilm engines previously combined with Xerox technology and Lexmark engines paired with Lexmark technology. Moving forward, White said that Xerox wants to maximise the use of in-house technology. “There’s a number of advantages of moving to in-house technology. We control our destiny there. We control how we manage cost. We control every aspect of it. We control where we manufacture, flexibility terms, keeping inventory low, keeping cash available.” And then production will remain a mix. “We are going to be announcing some internal technology in inkjet space, but other than that, we will continue to leverage our partnerships.” On pricing, White said the company’s goal is to be market competitive. “Historically there may have been things that have caused either company to do certain price behaviour, for example where Xerox didn’t control all of its own cost. This comes back to taking control of technology end-to-end, that lets us truly focus on being market competitive with our pricing. “How we choose to deploy that, is the strategic question. We really want to deploy price where price matters i.e. new customer acquisition, new logo wins, so we’ll strategically deploy pricing actions and pricing positions. I think you will see us be competitive across all segments, A4, A3 and production, and where we add value that nobody else can, we intend to capture that premium,” he explained. White also confirmed that OEM business remains part of the strategy, reflecting Lexmark’s heritage and continuing importance within the combined company. www.xerox.co.uk option remains available for BSD partners serving lighter-use customers. The platform also incorporates the latest A3 design principles, including common accessories across the portfolio. For legacy Xerox partners, the refresh brings back finishing options in this class, alongside longer-life toner, stronger security, larger touchscreens, standard Wi-Fi and optional easy to install fax. Clark added that Xerox started installing these products in 2018, which means many customers are nearing refresh point, making the October launch well-timed. Partner response and pricing strategy According to White, the response from legacy Xerox partners to the 9-Series has been positive, although he noted that engagement has happened at different speeds as product roadmap announcements and sales management transitions have unfolded at the same time. He said some partners from the legacy Xerox side are only now beginning to engage with those products, but that overall, they appear pleased to have been given choice and that they get to help drive the pace of change. He added that Lexmark dealers were particularly reassured by the decision to retain the unique BSD line. White pointed out that historically the Xerox A4 offering was based on Lexmark technology ‘under the covers’, and that while the hardware foundations of the A4 portfolio come from Lexmark, the layers above that, including firmware, software and applications, will increasingly blend technology from both companies. In A3, he said, there was quarters of a million devices in Western Europe alone. Xerox has identified what he described as ‘a big void’ in the current combined offering and to address it, has launched the new C200 and 300 series products. Clark said the launch is notable not only because of the new speed points, but because it is also the first product to carry the new Xerox branding. The 200 series will run at 25 pages per minute, and a new 30ppm speed point is being introduced in the same engine, with products above that remaining at 33 pages per minute. Clark said Xerox has acted on partner feedback around selling one product through all routes to market, which isn’t ideal for partners selling on clickbased models. The portfolio is being differentiated more clearly, with some products aimed at velocity or volume channels, specific models for BSD, and a new version designed for signature and enterprise partners. These, he said, will not be visible on e-tail sites, allowing pricing and positioning to better suit partner business models. “This will be the lowest cost option for partners to propose to A4 colour customers printing less than 1,000 pages a month with around 50% colour,” Clark said, adding that the devices are solutions-capable, include enterpriselevel security as standard and fit into both Xerox and Lexmark managed print services models. Mono workgroup Clark introduced a second new product in the high-end mono segment. The new range is aimed at customers with high print volumes and demanding reliability requirements. It will include a printer, an MFP without finishing options and an MFP with finishing options, with configurations built around different paper feed options. He said Xerox has taken an already strong mono platform and further improved service performance after acting on partner feedback on the A3 range. The new line comes with market‑leading PCR content, the solutions-capable eSF controller, a 4.3-inch touchscreen as standard on printers, and larger seven-inch and 10‑inch LCD displays higher up the range, and Wi-Fi as standard. Toner capacity rises from 55,000 to 70,000 pages for intensive users, while a 15,000-page NEWS FEATURE
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